PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Huuhtanen

Publications and source records attributed to P Huuhtanen.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Promotion of work ability, the quality of work and retirement.

In this study, the validity of a model designed to promote the work ability of aging workers was examined. The target areas of work ability promotion were searched for the characteristics that explain work ability the best. In addition, the way work ability relates to the quality of work and retirement was examined. The subjects (n = 1101) participated in the follow-up study on aging Finnish workers in 1992 and 1997. The results consistently supported the model for promoting work ability. All four areas of focus-(i) work demands and the environment; (ii) work organization and the work community; (iii) the promotion of workers' health and functional capacity; and (iv) the promotion of professional competence-proved to be strongly associated with work ability. Good work ability was associated with a high quality of work and the enjoyment of staying in one's job. It also predicted active and meaningful retirement.

Aging↗
PubMed1997

Finnish research project on aging workers in 1981-1992.

The objective of this follow-up study of aging workers was to determine changes in the work, life-style, health, functional capacity, and stress symptoms of Finnish municipal employees from 1981 to 1992. In addition, factors that predict improvement or decline in the ability to work were studied. With the use of this information, attempts were made to produce practical measures to decrease the work-related health risks of elderly workers and increase factors promoting work ability. Along with the stress-strain model applied in the study, the reference frame of the World Health Organization (WHO) was used. The WHO model emphasizes the interaction between work, life-style, aging, and health. Work, life-style, health, work ability, and stress symptoms were studied through the use of comprehensive questionnaire surveys in 1981, 1985 and 1992. Initially, all the subjects (N = 6257) were employed in municipal occupations. During the follow-up, the data were supplemented by information on disability to work and mortality. The changes in work, life-style, health, work ability, and stress symptoms were examined among employees who worked in the same job (N = 924) during the entire follow-up period.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Perceived work changes between 1981 and 1992 among aging workers in Finland.

OBJECTIVE: Perceived changes in mental and physical work demands and work content were evaluated longitudinally. METHODS: Municipal workers (N = 924) in the same job from 1981 (mean age 47 years) to 1992 (mean age 58 years) in the work content groups of mental, mixed mental and physical, or physical work responded to a questionnaire in both 1981 and 1992. RESULTS: The workers reported that the physical and mental demands of their jobs had mainly increased from 1981 to 1992, especially muscular work and use of knowledge. In 1992 the women still perceived higher physical demands than the men but felt they had greater possibilities to develop. The use of knowledge had increased, especially among the women, and was on the same level for both genders. The perception of changes differed in the 3 work content groups. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived work demands increase with age. Although the 3 work content categories differ somewhat as to perceived changes over time, in general, the changes may be more connected to personal factors than work factors. Older persons seem to work at a relatively higher capacity than younger workers, and this higher work load may be a risk factor for early work disability. Work demands and stress factors should therefore be surveyed and balanced according to the capacity of the aging worker. On the other hand, workers' perception of possibilities to develop seem to increase with age. The differences between men and women may especially diminish at a later age.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Changes in stress symptoms and their relationship to changes at work in 1981-1992 among elderly workers in municipal occupations.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated perceived changes in stress symptoms and the relationship of these changes to work during an 11-year period. METHODS: The sample consisted of municipal workers in different occupational groups who had remained in the same occupation during 1981-1992 (N = 924, 350 men and 574 women, 14.8% of the original sample in 1981). The age range was 44-51 years in 1981. Changes in the physical and mental stress symptoms and changes at work were analyzed with the aid of a structured questionnaire in 1981 and 1992. RESULTS: The questionnaire surveys revealed that stress symptoms were markedly increased, especially aches and pain in the upper and lower limbs, but also respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms. Avoidance reactions, including sense of apathy in general and desire to stay at home in the morning, were the most increased psychological symptoms. The women experienced a greater increase in symptoms than the men. Changes in symptoms were associated with changes at work in that, in general, the more symptoms had increased, the more the work had also been changed. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the impact of work on the functional capacity and symptoms of workers might start even earlier than the age of 45 years. This finding is of crucial importance when preventive measures and policies are being planned in regard to stress and physical and mental load at work. Results on the relationship of changes in cardiorespiratory symptoms and work tentatively suggest that, by developing job content and social support, even a positive impact on physical symptoms is possible.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Predictive minimum description length criterion for time series modeling with neural networks.

Nonlinear time series modeling with a multilayer perceptron network is presented. An important aspect of this modeling is the model selection, i.e., the problem of determining the size as well as the complexity of the model. To overcome this problem we apply the predictive minimum description length (PMDL) principle as a minimization criterion. In the neural network scheme it means minimizing the number of input and hidden units. Three time series modeling experiments are used to examine the usefulness of the PMDL model selection scheme. A comparison with the widely used cross-validation technique is also presented. In our experiments the PMDL scheme and the cross-validation scheme yield similar results in terms of model complexity. However, the PMDL method was found to be two times faster to compute. This is significant improvement since model selection in general is very time consuming.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1991

Performance efficiency and its changes among aging municipal employees.

The aims of the study were to compare the performance efficiency of aging municipal workers in different work categories and to determine the changes that occurred in visual search, short-term memory, and fine motor performance over a four-year follow-up period beginning at about 51 years of age. The mental capacity of the workers in mental work was better than that of the workers in physical and mixed physical and mental work, and the results between the physical and mixed work groups did not differ significantly. In four years, the workers' complex short-term memory weakened 6-7% in all three work content groups. Fine motor speed decreased 2-7% in the physical and mental work groups. It was concluded that the mental capacity of older workers depends on the mental demands of their work tasks. The weakening of performance is 2-7% between the ages of 51 to 55 years.

Aging↗
PubMed1991

Summary and recommendations of a project involving cross-sectional and follow-up studies on the aging worker in Finnish municipal occupations (1981-1985).

This report is a summary of the main findings of 15 studies comprising a multidisciplinary research project. Recommendations are also made on the basis of the findings, and they emphasize the following points: (i) work demands should change with age, (ii) work should be designed for unhealthy people, (iii) work ability should be promoted, (iv) work ability should be regularly monitored, (v) special attention to stress reactions is needed, (vi) knowledge of aging is needed, and (vii) action programs are needed.

Aging↗
PubMed1991

Changes in the content of Finnish municipal occupations over a four-year period.

The data of this study are based on questionnaire surveys made in 1981 and 1985. The sample consisted of 1799 men and 2456 women in the age range of 48-62 years. Physical demands were more common in 1985 than in 1981, and more common among the women than among the men. In addition problems with the physical-chemical environment were more common in 1985 and more common among the men. The changes in tasks were evaluated more often as positive than negative. The mental load had increased between 1981 and 1985 due to an increase in the amount of work and the knowledge needed at work. In addition changes in social contacts and client relations increased the mental load.

Aging↗
PubMed1991

Background and objectives of the Finnish research project on aging workers in municipal occupations.

In Finland, the proportion of 45- to 64-year-old people in the work force is expected to increase from 31.1 to 40.1% between 1980 and 2000. A multidisciplinary study was carried out to test the factors of work, health, work ability, functional capacity, and perceived strain as criteria for determining new concepts for retirement age. The first phase of the project comprised cross-sectional studies in which the age of the 6257 working subjects ranged from 45 to 58 years. The second phase covered a four-year follow-up of these same subjects. The main results of the 15 various studies are given in separate articles. Recommendations for improving the work and promoting the work ability of the aging worker have been made on the basis of the findings of the project.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Stress management, aging, and disease.

The association of stress management, work, and individual factors with the incidence of upper-back disorders and coronary heart disease was studied according to the House paradigm of stress research. The features of work concerned its organization and social environment. Stress management and individual factors covered coping styles, sense of coherence, family roles, gender, and age. These factors were measured by questionnaire studies in 1992 when the subjects (n = 1101, mean age 58 years) were active workers, and again in 1997. Manageability and withdrawal stress response prevented upper-back disorders, whereas dissatisfaction with the work schedule predicted these disorders. Male gender predicted coronary heart disease.

Aged↗